Kalopia

[GreekIdiot]

To Vima
Still no government; Stimulas forgets to appear 17 times in Ekklesia
December 5377



Helios, Kalopia - The case of the Neo Komma (Luthorian: New Party) is...eh, precarious. Rather, eh, problematic. Something to...consider? Who we kidding here, this whole thing is completely bonkers! Who the hell elected this guy!! Alexandros Stimulas, our new "leader" has yet to form his own government - thank mercy for Anastidis, not to mention forgetting to appear 17 times in the assembly. Once, he appeared in the afternoon reeking of ouzo. This is exactly what happens when suddenly any crazy idiot can simply register with the electoral authority and run a party, magically, just like that. Where's the logic in this?!

Good thing is, this incompetence has given rise to another coalition, the Democratic Alignment. Let's see, hopefully!

Goddamn idiot.

[GreekIdiot]

To Vima
BREAKING: Stimulas dead after falling down elevator shaft
January 5378



Helios, Kalopia - Like that's a surprise (editor's note: our newspaper apologises for that snarky comment). The nation mourns today the loss of its most exquisitely fine and most obtusely idiotic leaders in centuries as the Archon's Office announced a few minutes ago that Alexandros Stimulas of the Neo Komma was pronounced dead after falling down an elevator shaft in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Although the autopsy report has yet to be released, witnesses at the scene and government officials commented how the Archon reeked of ouzo in being inebriated after running late to a meeting with the Deputy MOIA.

We have received word that one of the Neo Komma's interns submitted an early elections motion to the Ekklesia just now, after being "politely" guided by Anastidis officials in what the Kalopian Government cites as "absolute anarchy and incompetence by the NK".

[Aethan]

BREAKING: Terrorist killed near the Gene and Seed Vault
The subject was wearing an explosive vest that did not detonate


Members of the Kalopian special military forces near the Gene and Seed Vault installations

The special forces of the Kalopian army that monitor the surroundings of the Gene and Seed Vault facilities are on red alert after two individuals attempted a hostile approach towards the Vault this morning.

After the first approach, in which the individuals camouflaged as civilians approached the fence that surrounds the entire perimeter of the facility - located about 5km from the Vault itself -, they were warned to leave as they did not have any authorization or identification to be closer. Approximately two hours later, around 2 a.m., the same individuals at the wheel of a large vehicle broke the fence and entered the perimeter, but the vehicle was intercepted just one kilometer later by the security forces surrounding the area, without even being able to pass the second line of fences surrounding the complex. Faced with this situation, one of the attackers decided to flee, but the other ran in the direction of the facilities, ignoring repeated warnings from the security forces to stop. Given this situation, and considering the subject as a "threat to the security of the installation" after he repeatedly stated his intentions to "blow up the Vault", the military commanders gave the green light to "neutralize the threat", and the subject was killed when he still had more than three kilometers left to reach the facilities.

When the body was inspected, it was found that he was wearing an explosive vest, so the bomb squad was immediately called, who managed to deactivate it.

The other subject is believed to be currently hiding in a nearby area, so the special services are currently searching for him and have doubled the number of personnel monitoring the area.

At the moment the motives for this attack are unknown, and no terrorist group has claimed responsibility.

"We do not know why anyone would want to attack a project such as the Gene and Seed Vault, but luckily, since its construction, this type of unfortunate situations were already contemplated and we have been able to react quickly and forcefully to avoid further damage to the facilities and to what they mean."

The killed terrorist was not carrying any identification document with him, so security forces are currently investigating his identity. The security forces have distributed the information of this individual to the Interior Ministries of the countries of the Gene and Seed Vault project, hoping that it can be identified faster in this way. Regarding the other individual, authorities have stated that if he surrenders voluntarily, he will undergo a fair trial, but that if he persists in his fight and is considered dangerous to public safety, the special forces could be forced to take "more drastic measures."

For the moment, the Kalopian Ministry of the Interior has limited itself to what is currently known, avoiding making further public statements.

[Aethan]

Kalopian Dawn
Your source of fresh Kalopian news
May 5390

Kalopia to reintroduce compulsory military service
The proposal has been hinted by both the Defence Minister and the Prime Minister; it is still unclear its format


Kalopian Minister of Defence Aristarchos Georgilis (right) talking with his counterparts at an international summit

"What's wrong with serving our country?"

Aristarchos Georgilis, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Kalopia, has asked in public.

"To put it clearly: our way of life is currently under attack, although many people do not realize it or do not want to realize it yet” and Kalopian national and regional governments must “finally address the issue of defensiveness.”

It is not clear to which attack Mr. Georgilis refers to, but many point out to the fact that Kalopia is an officially "neutral nation", and therefore it is not possible for the country to join any military alliance, such as the MSCO. This puts the country in a fragile equilibrium, as in a case of a conflict arising, Kalopia would in theory be able to request the help of any other nation of Terra, but at risk of this plead falling into deaf ears as a consequence of its isolationism.

The Kalopian Minister of Defense has also recognized that "eliminating compulsory military service was a mistake" and that "we must be prepared for a war in every possible scenario." No one in the government or his own party has accused Georgilis of exaggerated scaremongering. He is only saying what has been the basic consensus in Worthy Homeland for the last few years.

Experts such as retired General Kourogipopulis demand a "special program for the defense of Kalopia", which guarantees the industrial base for the security of supply and the sustainability of a potential war, and that the Kalopian armies "are democratically supported by the population's will to defend themselves." and in accelerated processes of next-generation digitalization, decentralized energy supply, resilient bridges and roads and a redundant rail network. And they ask for the return of compulsory military service from the certainty that "we are not observers, we are the target of possible foreign aggression."

Compulsory military service was definitively abolished in Kalopia a while ago. Following the Gene and Seed Vault attack and showing some awareness of error, Prime Minister Herakles Stamidis thought about resuming it "in case of another possible terrorist threat", but the idea was put on hold until now. The Archon of Kalopia, Medea Zanniadi - also from the ruling Worthy Homeland -, was in charge of expressing out loud for the first time, the proposal of a "compulsory social service" for young Kalopians, which in her opinion could be carried out "both in the military as well as in elder care, facilities for the disabled or shelters for the homeless".

Both Prime Minister Stamidis and his Defense Minister are in favor of reintroducing compulsory service and the Association of Kalopian Reservists supports the initiative. Its president, Markos Giannidis, believes that,

"realistically, an active force of 500,000 soldiers and around 2.2 million reservists would be needed for the defense of our Republic, but at the moment Kalopia does not even have 300,000 soldiers and 400,000 reservists who practice regularly. "In my opinion, it won't work without conscription,"

he concludes.

Also a clear majority of Kalopians, 68%, are in favor of its reintroduction, according to the result of a survey carried out by the Hallas Research Institute last December, which also showed that 89% of those surveyed believe that it should apply to all genders, while only 11% would prefer to reintroduce it exclusively for men. Only one out of ten Kalopian citizens (12%) are completely against it. Support for the initiative is strong across the whole political spectrum, although with an higher support among those in the right.

Kalopian parliament will probably debate a bill in favor of reintroducing compulsory service in the upcoming months, but it is still unclear which aspects will it cover. According to internal government sources, Prime Minister Stamidis is in favor of an optional military service or civil service, with the duration of one year. Defense Minister Georgilis, on the other hands, is more into a one-year military service and six-months civil service. The issue will probably be discussed in Parliament after the next general elections, which are scheduled for March next year and where polls currently place Worthy Homeland as the clear frontrunner to maintain its comfortable absolute majority.

[Aethan]

The Whisper of Kalopia
The gossip you didn't know you needed
June 5390

Is Alexios I going to abdicate soon?
His son and heir Achilleas, Duke of the Republic, is making more and more international appearances.


Duke Achilleas and his wife (left) in an official State visit to neighbour Deltaria

With just turned 72 years old, Prince of Kalopia Alexios I is about to complete 26 years on the throne of Kalopia, fulfilling the constitutional functions assigned to him as one of the two Heads of State of the "crowned Republic" after his election in September 5364. Having seen 4 Heads of Government pass and shared Head of State with 3 Archones - including the current one, Medea Zanniadi -, Alexios I has maintained a low profile throughout his reign, although he has had intense international activity not only in Majatra but throughout all of Terra. However, it is increasingly less common to see him in the exercise of his duties, with his first-born Achilleas now attending most events where the figure of his father is required.

Achilleas, born in 5346 as the first of the five children of Alexios I with his wife Helena Stavriade, is at 44 years old an increasingly prominent figure in international forums where Kalopia must be represented. Taking into account the limited functions that the Constitution of Kalopia attributes to the Prince of Kalopia - basically limited to receiving foreign ambassadors and ministers, performance of ceremonial functions, exercising the High Patronage of the Academies and representation of the Kalopian nation in foreign soil -, it is It is evident that Alexios I is letting his son earn his own fame while waiting to be able to step aside at the right moment, for which various sources close to the Prince speculate that there is not much left. These same sources attribute to Alexios I an illness about which not much has been said, but which is progressively preventing him from carrying out his duties with the diligence that he has always demanded of himself, hence Achilleas is the one who is taking command of the Head of State little by little. He has already performed State visits to Deltaria, Jakania, Solentia and Istalia, and more to come are expected in the following months.

Achilleas himself has, according to various pollsters, an approval even higher than that of his own father, with nearly 65% of Kalopians believing that, when his time comes, "he will do the same or better than his father." Duke Achilleas is known to be a defender of labor equality, the environment or the rights of minorities, as he has made clear during his youth and adulthood, but he has never taken a stand on the side of any political party or raised slogans. policies that could endanger the neutrality that, according to his own father, "is required for a figure like ours, who represents the entire nation and its citizens". It is also known that he is the most restrained of the five siblings, as he has always kept in mind his duty towards the position reserved for him after his father.

For this reason we pose the following question to our readers: will the reign of Alexios I inaugurate the 54th century, or on the contrary will his son and current heir, Achilleas, enter the 54th century as Achilleas I, Prince of Kalopia?

[Aethan]

Kalopian Dawn
Your source of fresh Kalopian news
November 5390

Regional President of Kithara resigns amid "racist" scandal
Kassiades called on illegal immigrants to be "summarily deported" the moment they set foot on Kalopia


Regional President of Kithara, Anastakos Kassiades, after his resignation speech following the scandal

Regional President of Kithara and member of Worthy Homeland Anastakos Kassiades has announced his resignation this morning via social network, claiming that he believes he has "done nothing wrong", but does so out of respect for his party and so not to harm the work Worthy Homeland "has done in Kalopia". The controversy, which arised last week when during a plenary session of the Kitharan parliament - in which Worthy Homeland holds a comfortable absolute majority - Mr. Kassiades asked for illegal immigrant to be "summarily deported" the very exact moment they set foot on the region, prompting some worried looks from some of his colleagues. Kithara has a shared border with Kafuristan and Solentia, two of the most unstable nations in the Majatran continent, which regularly show an influx of immigrants towards Kalopia.

Reactions in social media and the streets followed soon after, with many criticizing Mr. Kassiades words and asking for his immediate resignation, amidst cries of "shameful" and "racist" chants in many Kitharan cities. Others, however, praised his words, calling him a "brave man" for speaking up against the "collective modern correctness" and the "dictatorship of political correctness".

"He has dared to say what many in this region believe but are afraid to say outloud", says a man in his 60s during one of the demonstrations in his favor.

It is worth noting that within Worthy Homeland there are many factions, as the party has always refused to position themselves in the "left-right" axis, instead advocating for specific terms to define their ideology. In the party manual, the core ideas are mentioned to be "Republican parliamentarism", "Participatory democracy", "Economic nationalism", "Cultural traditionalism" and "Protectionism", while also being labeled as "left-wing populist" by many political scholars. One of the most repeated and well known mantras of the party is that, despite being in favor of LGBT and women's rights, these very same rights are threatened by religion and foreign immigration, and that these are the issues that should be tackled.

From the central government, Prime Minister Herakles Stamidis refused to comment on Mr. Kassiades words, instead saying that his words represent only himself but not the official position of the party, that is stablished every few years in a popular and democratic Assembly.

Amidst mounting pressure for his resignation, including calls of boycott by immigrant associations in Kalopia and Kithara, citizens woke up this morning with the announcement of his effective resignation via social media, in a message where he says that he has done "nothing wrong" but does so not to harm his own party.



However, this resignation may not be anything but a mere formality to appease the crowd, since in the very same social media message he has announced his intention to run again for the position in the next Kitharan elections, claiming that it is the Kitharan peoples the ones that should decide his political future. And these elections are coming just next month, since earlier this week Prime Minister Stamidis announced early elections to be celebrated in December, so that new political posts such as the Archon or the regional Presidents can be inaugurated at the start of next year.

[Aethan]

Kalopian Dawn
Your source of fresh Kalopian news
December 5390

Stamidis gets another mandate; plans for mandatory service announced
The gamble to call for early elections have not affected Worthy Homeland results, the party remains with absolute majority in Parliament securing Herakles Stamidis as Head of Government for another term


Prime Minister Herakles Stamidis this morning after elections results were announced

Fulfilling the forecasts, no other party has been able to put a stop to the overwhelming electoral strength that Worthy Homeland has once again demonstrated, winning a new absolute majority in the Kalopian parliament and thus ensuring the re-election of Herakles Stamidis as Prime Minister of the country. Worthy Homeland's victory is reinforced by the also re-election of Archon Medea Zanniadi, who will face a second term at the head of the Head of State alongside Prince of Kalopia Alexios I.

In his public appearance before the media after the electoral results and to evaluate them, Mr. Stamidis thanked the citizens for their "exemplary and incident-free" participation in the election day, as well as the trust placed once again in the party that he directs, and the hope of not letting them down during this term. In a brief review of the key points that his new government intends to address for this legislature - of which it is still unknown whether the same ministers will be repeated or there will be some replacement -, Mr. Stamidis has announced that, indeed, during this mandate he intends to restore the mandatory service, although he has declared that an attempt will be made to mix military and civil service and, above all, with the idea of "serving the country" and not establishing reactionary behavior. He also wants to confront "with a strong hand" issues related to immigration and religion - which is in severe decline due to previous regulations already applied -, since he considers "that they are issues that concern our citizens and that must be addressed and given room in the public debate".

The great controversy of the election night has been the elections for President of Kithara, where all the spotlights were on after the resignation last month of Anastakos Kassiades due to his statements in the regional parliament, considered "racist" by many. Immediately after his resignation, Mr. Kassiades announced that he would run again in the regional elections so that the citizens of Kithara "would be the ones to decide his political future." According to the results, Mr. Kassiades will return next month to the Massos palace, seat of the Kithara government, since the voters have given him an absolute majority with which he can feel supported. In statements to the media, Mr. Kassiades - who belongs to the wing considered the most populist within Worthy Homeland - has accused the same media of "media manipulation" and "twisting his words", but has thanked the citizens of Kithara for not having allowed themselves to be deceived or confused by the groups of "radicals" who came out to protest and ask for his resignation.

Those around Prime Minister Stamidis do not hide their disappointment, since despite the fact that the party gave its public support to Kassiades' campaign to be re-elected, Herakles Stamidis did not star in any campaign event with Kassiades as he did with the four other regional Presidents, all of them re-elected in their positions.

"It's an uncomfortable situation"

they mention from within the party

"Stamidis and Kassiades have a cordial relationship, but [Herakles] crossed Kassiades from the moment his statements came to light, because he considers that these not only damage his image, but that of the entire party and his intention to "to be a transversal and measured force. Stamidis believes that Worthy Homeland should be a firm party in its proposals and laws, but soft in its words, and that was blown up with Kassiades' statements. They agree on the topic, but disagree on the way to express it, and this can become a serious conflict that Mr. Stamidis wants to avoid at all costs"

[TRA]

Beiteynu
Majatra: 4 more states to ascend to the MSCO - October 5393

[Aethan]

Kalopian Dawn
Your source of fresh Kalopian news
November 5394

Kalopia will not join MSCO; looks for another status
Kalopian government cites the "Kalopian Official Neutrality Treaty" as the reason not to join the Majatran organization. However, the government is open to search for other alternatives


Kalopian Minister of Foreign Affairs Evi Perropoulou speaking to the press

Despite a growing number of Majatran nations joining the MSCO, looks like Kalopia will not follow such steps. According to Minister of Foreign Affairs Evi Perropoulou, the main reason for this decision lays in the Kalopian Official Neutrality Treaty, which would enter into conflict with some articles of the MSCO treaty.

When decades ago our nation decided to become a "neutral nation", we did so with the idea of being a reliable and trustworthy nation to all the other nations of Terra. Article IV of the KONDT clearly mentions that "The nation of Kalopia hereby agrees to remain officially neutral in conflicts around Terra with the signatory nations, and will only participate in the form of medical and humanitarian assistance to populations in need" and therefore, this would directly clash with Article I of the MSCO, which says that the organization "is a defence pact under which members pledge to defend each other when another member is attacked.". However, we have instructed our negotiators to look for other ways of collaboration between Kalopia and the MSCO, one that does not compromise our neutrality and the security of our citizens".

Kalopia is an important ally and strategic partner for South Majatra due to its territory completely splitting the south of the continent in two; nothing from Kafuristan, Solentia or Istalia can go by land to Jelbania, Zardugal, Cobura, Deltaria or Jakania without passing by Kalopia, and viceversa. The Kalopian government, leaded by Worthy Homeland, has always taken a protectionist instance in the commerce issue, knowing very well that it has the winning chances in this geopolitical situation. An even more radical faction within the party advocates for a harsher isolationism that may put into risk the whole commerce flow in the south of Majatra, but Prime Minister Herakles Stamidis has dismissed such fears.

"This Kalopian government advocates for sovereignty and protectionism, but is not against international solidarity or normal relations with our neighbours, which we also consider allies and friends".

As such, Kalopian government is expecting to negotiate a different partnership with the MSCO, one that might be able to satisfy both parts.

[Aethan]

Kalopian Dawn
Your source of fresh Kalopian news
December 5399

Kalopia will reinforce the border with Kafuristan
The government's decision comes after the escalation of violence in the neighboring country, after initially not having taken any action in this regard.


Minister of Internal Affairs Andromachi Stamiadi and Prefect of Kithara Panikos Spanidis during the public declaration

Following the growing tension that continues to simmer in the neighboring country of Kafuristan, the government of Herakles Stamidis has finally made the decision to establish greater controls on the border that the country shares with its neighbor, in anticipation of the crisis ravaging Kafuristan could impact Kalopia.

In a joint appearance between the Minister of the Interior and the Prefect of the Kithara region, which is the only region of Kalopia with which Kafuristan borders, Mrs. Stamiadi announced that the measures carried out by the government will be implemented "immediately" and include, among other things, the mobilization of military units to the eastern border, where from that moment on "any possible free movement of existing goods and people will be interrupted." Asked about the government's position regarding the seizure of power in the neighboring country, Mrs Stamiadi stated that Kalopia does not recognize governments but States, and that therefore the State of Kafuristan enjoys the full recognition of the Kalopian government. However, the Minister of the Interior recalled that Kafuristan has not signed the "Kalopian Official Neutrality and Diplomatic Treaty" and that therefore Kalopia reserves the right to take any measure it deems appropriate "to safeguard the integrity and security of all its citizens".

This movement by Kalopia is an important step given that any connection between Kafuristan, both import and export of land goods, with the west of the continent of Majatra has to cross the territory of Kalopia, so it remains to be seen how they react. the authorities of Kafuristan.